Dawn
by Irresistible-CourtneyFan
Summary: Full Summary and Background information inside. Highlights: Journey, some JaxBrenda, L&L2, S&C, Nikolas, GQ, Briego, TrentSage, and Lucas. Alternate Universe.
1. Chapter 1

Dawn 

**Background**: Courtney is the founder of a special foundation called Dawn that deals with underprivileged teens and animals. Children come to her animal facilities and learn how to take care of animals. She has a sixteen-year-old adopted son named Diego.

She also provides foster care to several teens. Dillon, Georgie, Brook Lynn, Trent, Sage, and Lucas.

**Dillon**: His parents died while on a trip to a safari in Africa when he was twelve. He was raised around animals so he's familiar with taking care of animals. He has a crush on Courtney's new foster teen, Georgie.

**Georgie**: Her single mother died of cancer two months ago. She's the newest of Courtney's home. She's never been around animals so she's a little weary. Dillon is helping her get used to them. She has a crush on him.

**Brook Lynn**: Her single father was abusive and she was taken out of her parent's custody. When she meets Diego they start to talk and they've been dating ever since.

**Trent**: He was in the custody of his older brother when he was killed in a drive-by-shooting involving a local gang when his brother wouldn't join them. He and Sage is an item.

**Sage**: Her father was murdered and was placed into foster Courtney's home. When she and Trent met and exchanged stories she found out that there was someone who understood her. She's going out with him.

**Lucas**: He was the first foster child Courtney took in. He has turned eighteen and has decided to stay at Courtney's to help with the foundation children.

**Summary**: Someone is poaching on the sections of land she's set aside for wild animals.

Jason Morgan, a federal agent, is sent out to her land to investigate. Sparks quickly fly between the two and they begin to fall in love.

The poachers get violent and kill one of her workers and put one of her kids in the hospital. It's the last straw; Courtney will protect what's with her life while Jason will protect her with his.

Chapter One 

Courtney Corbin stood in front of the wall size bay window, sipping her morning coffee and looking over her land. She loved waking early and watch the sunrise over the mountains that border her land to the west. The reds, oranges, and pinks mixing and blending together. The first light of day christening her land for another day. The sight was so beautiful, so breathtaking; it was almost painful to watch.

Dawn was her favorite time of day, her inspiration for naming her foundation. Dawn, the first light of a brand new day. A brand new day, a second chance. A second chance she gives children and animals a like.

She could see the buildings that housed her animals. The first held the horses along with ponies, camel, and donkeys. The second belongs to the Billy goats, sheep, lambs, etc. The next is for the smaller animals such as rabbits, beavers, muskrats, and bobcats. They even have skunks, all though she regrets it at times when a kid runs to her having been sprayed and she has to bathe dunderhead in tomato juice.

Another building held the reptiles. Snakes, iguanas, and lizards. There was a pond that held frogs and fish. There was a smaller building where mice, rats, and other rodents.

On the other side of the house is where they keep the more exotic animals. The Lion's Den, they liked to call it, held the lions that were raised in captivity and can't be reintroduced back into the wild. There were the cheetah's house, tigers, orangutans, primates, and chimpanzees, panda bears and larger bears.

In front of the house was the kennels that held her children's dogs. Each of her six foster children has their own dog.

And for the other children, at the beginning of the month, twenty-five children come to her place. Each kid gets an animal of their choosing to take care of, feed, and play with. By doing this they learn responsibility, self-esteem, and friendship, morals, and values. They learn life.

She looked down when her own dog nuzzled his nose under her hand. "Good morning, Rocky," she greeted the Australian Sheppard. She bent to wrestle with him. "You want to go for a run, don't ya, boy?"

Rocky responded by knocking her on her butt and covering her face with sloppy kisses. She wrestled with him some more causing him to playfully growl before pushing him off her. Laughing she stood and wiped the slobber off her face. She looked out over the land again.

This was her love, this land and these animals. The land, the animals, and her six foster children were her life. The other children, also. She makes a difference in their lives. She'll protect that with everything she has…


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews. I did have this at the LN but I wasn't able to keep up with the posting rule. A lot members liked my story so I hope they find it here. Journey interaction will be in the fourth chapter, ifI'm not mistaken.These first couple of chapters will be setup for the story. Here it goes, please review...**

**Chapter Two:**

Courtney came through the back door into the kitchen after taking Rocky for a run and saw the petite brunette hesitate at the door. Georgie was her new foster child. She was placed with her two months ago when her mother died of cancer. She kept to herself mostly. The only person she seems to bond with was Dillon. He was helping her get used to the animals.

Courtney thought that this was a good time to bond. Keep it casual, she told herself. From her experience you couldn't rush anybody into bonding, especially a teenager. "Great," she said as she strode to the refrigerator, "You can help me cook breakfast for the horde," she said, pulling out eggs, bacon, and cheese.

She watched Georgie out of the corner of her eye and saw the young lady hesitate again before saying attentively, "Okay."

"Good. There's a frying pan up there," she indicated to a cupboard over Georgie's head, "Start with the eggs, I think omelets ought to do it today," she said.

As Georgie cracked eggs into a sizzling frying pan, Courtney turned to start making the coffee. She knew well enough that if there was no coffee when Lucky stumbled into her kitchen everyone's day was going to be miserable. Especially with his and Elizabeth's new baby, Cameron thinking 3 am was the perfect time to have a little party.

Lucky was her brother and him and his wife, Elizabeth lived in a house on her land. He got up way before Elizabeth so he comes along to raid her kitchen for coffee and breakfast. If he tried to cook for himself she'd be minus a brother, lost to food poisoning or salmonella. He was safer here.

Lucky was in charge of her employees who worked with the animals. She doesn't really get close to the men. Not since what happened to her but a few snuck into her heart. There was Sonny who also lived on her land with his wife Carly who was now pregnant with their second child and Nikolas. He flies solo, as he so lovingly calls the life of a single man. Flying solo, she thought with a chuckle and a shake of her head. What would they do without Nikolas? She was unattached and glade of it. It was hard to get close to a man after what had happened to her.

She turned back to Georgie and stared shocked at the pile of omelets that was sitting upon a plate, ready to be eaten by the nearest greedy teenager. "Jeez, you made all that in the amount of time I make coffee."

Georgie lowered her head shyly at the astonished admiration in Courtney's voice, "My mom was a cook, she taught me," Georgie told her.

Courtney nodded knowingly and walked over to Georgie, "Talk to me sweetheart," she pushed gently.

"Well, I--I feel guilty," Georgie admitted.

"Why?"

"Well, my mom, she's not here. I'm happy here and she doesn't get to be," Georgie said, a tear rolling slowly down the girl's cheek.

"Oh, sweetheart. It's okay to be happy. Wouldn't your mother want to know that you were happy and was being taken care of even if she wasn't there?" she asked gently.

"I guess," the young lady said as she wiped away the tears.

"Its okay to be happy," Courtney said again.

"Thank you," Georgie hugged Courtney.

"Why don't me and you go shopping later? You haven't really decorated you room," Courtney said. That was another defense mechanism. If you didn't get comfortable it was a tribute to the loved one you've lost.

"Yeah. I was thinking maybe I could decorate it with oranges and pinks and reds. With flowers and peace signs and everything like that. I don't know what you call it."

"Retro," Courtney said with a laugh.

"Yeah, retro," Georgie laughed her.

There was a loud thump on the ceiling and Courtney rolled her eyes, "Boys are awake," she said to Georgie.

Courtney headed up the stairs with Georgie behind her. She turned the corner to the hall that held the boys' bedrooms and saw them.

Dillon and Trent were on the floor, wrestling. Brook Lynn and Sage were standing around them, giggling and rooting them on. Trent had the upper hand but yelped in surprise when Dillon threw his weight to the left and flipped the kid onto his back. Her boys always fought or wrestled. She was always bandaging up scrapes and cuts. It wasn't like they hated each other, it was quite the opposite. Her children loved each other, they were family. They just loved each other so much that they couldn't help badgering the other into a fistfight or a wrestling match.

Just as she suspected, Lucas came out of his room having heard the ruckus and joined in the fray. Now she had three boys on the floor, grunting from a punch and most definitely laughing like a bunch of hyenas. When Diego's door opened and the boy stepped out with his hair mussed and a gleam in his green eye, Courtney decided to stop it before anyone shed any blood...well any more blood. She raised her fingers to her mouth and whistle loudly.

They all looked up and when they saw Courtney they were perfect angels with grins on their faces. Courtney tilted her head with a smirk on her face that told the young men that she didn't believe a word of it.

After the boys stood and brushed each other off, Courtney turned and headed back downstairs, "Georgie cooked breakfast. Omelets are ready. Clean up and come downstairs."

Dillon smiled at Georgie. Diego smiled at Brook Lynn. Trent smiled at Sage and Lucas let out a groan and escaped before the gooey-eyed kids infected them with the puppy love decease.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note, Jax and Courtney in this story is like Jax and Lois. They're best friends, grew up together.

Chapter Three 

Courtney hauled the bag of feed over her shoulder and piled it with the others in the shed where they keep all the food for the animals. She turned and grabbed another one, working along side Nikolas and Sonny, who were helping. Lucky was out patrolling the wild life section, checking the fences and counting the heads of the animals being held there.

When she heard gravel crunch under tires she stopped and wiped a gloved hand over her forehead. "I'll be right back you guys," she said to her hands.

"No, problem, boss," they said in unison and she smiled.

She headed out of the shed and saw the familiar red convertible. Standing next to the car was a tall man with blond hair and devilish blue eyes, glaring at the dirt that had clung to his nice, crisp business suit.

She stuck her hands in her back pockets and whistled long and loud so the man could hear, "Well, well, well," she said and lazily swaggered over to the man. "Look what the cat dragged in," she said.

The man grinned at her and said back, "Yeah, dragged is right," he said, the Australian accent clear and loud as wiping at his now ruined dress pants.

"Teach you to wear formal wear to my fine establishment," she teased.

"Shut up and come here," he said, smiling at her.

She grinned at him and stepped forward on her toes and kissed his cheek. She wound her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"How have you been, Jasper Jacks? I haven't seen you and you're beautiful wife since the foundation fundraiser, what was it, two weeks ago? How is Brenda?" she asked.

"She's beautiful as ever and very pregnant," Jax said and earned a not so gentle punch on the shoulder, "Hey! That hurt. What was that for?" he asked.

"She's not here to smack you so I will," and to prove it she hit him again, gently this time.

"All right, all right. I came to give you your government check for supplies," he said, holding out the check for her.

"Why, thank you very much," Courtney said and tucked the flannel shirt she wore, sleeves rolled up, over her white tank-tee. "Why didn't you just drop it in the mail?" she asked.

"I wanted to check for myself, see how everything was doing," he said. He scanned the land and mountains. The sun was beating down today and most of the workers were shirtless.

"Everything's okay. Another rotation of kids are due this weekend," she told them.

"Yeah. I heard you got another foster placement. How she settling in?" he said.

"She's doing okay. A little shy around the kids and especially the animals but Dillon's helping her out."

"That's good."

"Want to come in and have a drink. We just made lemonade," she asked.

"Don't mind if I do, as long as Lucky didn't make it," Jax made a sour face and it cracked her up.

"No, no I think you're safe with Diego's," she said and led the way up the back steps to the wraparound porch and into the kitchen.

Lucas, Trent, and Sage were sitting at the kitchen island playing a card game. Lucas's rottweiler was snoring at his feet and Sage's Maltese puppy was curled in on her lap. Trent's fat and flabby bulldog was under the table, chewing on a knotted length of rope.

Rocky came to greet Courtney and Jax at the door, "Hey, there boy," Jax knelt to give Rocky a little rub behind the ears.

"Hey, Jax," Lucas greeted him. "Want to play?" he asked.

"What are you play and what's the odds," Jax said as he sat down next to Sage. He pats the puppy that was in her lap and the dog stretched, yawned, and kissed his fingers.

"Its poker, Texas Hold Em and we're playing with gay farmers," Trent told him.

"Gay Farmers?" Jax asked, completely puzzled.

"Jolly Ranchers, Jax," Courtney told him as she took out a pitcher of iced lemonade and poured him a glass.

"Oh, I get it," Jax laughed. "Sure, I could use some candy. Thanks, love," he said when Courtney handed him the glass.

Lucas dealt him in the next hand. Soon Courtney joined in and had most of the Jolly Ranchers in front of her.

"Huh, full house," Jax said and took the pot with at least thirty Jolly Ranchers. He picked them up one by one and color-coded them saying, "And this one was Courtney's, and this one was Courtney, oh yeah, I think this one was Trent's."

They turned when the door busted open and Lucky hurried in, panting, "Courtney, there's a problem in the wild life section."

Courtney stood from the game and went out the door. She turned left to the stables. She hurried down the long line of horses and flipped open the lock that held her chestnut stallion, Gilbo.

She hastily saddled him up and led him out of the stables where Lucky and his side hand, Danny, were waiting on their horses and mounted him, "Aye," she called out and set the horse running to the east where the wild section was with Lucky and Danny behind her.

Courtney stared down at the bones of a lion, fury, rage, and sadness mixing inside her. She tried to control her breathing but it still came out labored. Someone poached on her land. Someone killed an innocent animal and took their fur and anything else that was profitable. They weren't going to get away from it.

Lucky laid a hand on his sister's shoulder. He knew she cared deeply about her animals and grieved when she lost one, even if it was from sickness and old age. This senseless act must have been killing her. "There's a break in the electric fence along the south side of the section. Big enough to drive a car through and out again without getting electrocuted," he told her.

"Son of a bitch," she yelled in fury kicked a rock that was close by.

Lucky and Danny stood back and let her curse viciously and pace of most of the rage. When she was calmed, Lucky went to his sister, "Come on, lets go back and we can figure this out."

Courtney nodded and went to her horse, mounted her and set her to a gallop back towards the house. When they got there Jax was waiting outside for her.

"Hey, I just heard what happened? I'm really sorry," Jax said. He knew how much Courtney loved her animals.

"Thanks."

"I'm going to make some calls and get the authorities out here."

"Thank you, Jax," Courtney said again, lifted a hand to his cheek and went back inside Rocky sensed his mistress' mood and followed her.


End file.
